Wish me luck...insurance wants photos

[musigenesis]

Originally Posted by cadillackid

the wind-mill on the roof on the road mentality I guess...

Ha ha, that one gets suggested there all the time, too.

[HamSkoolie]

Originally Posted by s2mikon

My liability insurance for my rv park had an exclusion for non RVIA vehicles. In other words no skoolies. I’d like to know what the problems were.

That's easy two items, one or both of them.


1) "hippie buses" so the parks aren't all that friendly to start with.



2) Lobbying by the RVIA. Established corporations form associations who's job is to lobby and create barriers. If bus conversions can't find an RV park, they have to go buy from an RVIA member. While skoolie builders aren't a large part of the market for RVIA members and high dollar coach converters may well be, the "poor folk" lose out. So they lobby a few companies that provide policies for RV parks and bing, bang, badaboom.....gotta be RVIA built.




Thing is, we were going to buy a big RV from a major manufacturer. 40' fifth wheel and already had the truck to pull it.....bought specifically for pulling that 40'er. Then we saw how horribly they're built (don't hold up) and how ridiculous the interior designs are (can't access the kitchen without open slides) not even able to get in for a quick potty break in many cases...... sooooo we said no thanks, we'll do a custom build.

[HamSkoolie]

Originally Posted by incubus

Make sure they know your not going to live in it,seats are out so non comercial use,dont mention roof top deck or solar panels(afraid you'll fall off) and no ,NO WOOD BURNING HEAT SORCE. General cancled my insurance because they thought an electric heater was wood stove. No convincing them otherwise.

Many of us ARE going to live in it.


Not "mentioning" the roof top deck is grounds to cancel. Be honest, and put a REAL railing around the deck. Show them pictures with the railing up and stowed.


Wood stoves ARE NOT an insurance killer. Some companies may have that policy but others will ensure them. But they'd better be properly installed, maybe even have to pay a "licensed installer" (which is going to be a home licensed installer which is really super silly). Our insurance agent said "just don't put a wood stove in".....I said oh we plan to why is that a problem. Turns out they "don't like them" and discourage installation of one but WILL INSURE even with it.


Heck there are wood stoves certified for mobile use (Dickinson for instance). And those $130 cheap Chinese diesel heaters are hella less safe than a wood stove that doesn't involve liquid fuels in a plastic tank.


You just have to find the right company and have the right conversations with their agent. ANYTHING can be insured.....it's just a matter of cost and finding a willing underwriter. Finding a company that will insure a skoolie with a wood stove IS NOT that difficult.....just call a broker and they'll find you one.

[HamSkoolie]

Originally Posted by cadillackid

..... fancy ram cummins with a monster goosneck camper trailer.. we pulled up next to each other at the station and out jumped 4 people from the truck cab.. and 4 more from the RV trailer...

Was it a gooseneck or a fifty wheel? BIG DIFF


In California it's legal to ride in a fifth wheel trailer. Probably in other states as well. In fact, they have fifth wheels for PEOPLE that are called "cattle cars".


Gooseneck in California is illegal to haul people but the fifth wheel isn't.



NOTE: I will NOT haul people in a trailer......I've seen what happens to them when you crash regardless of whose fault.

[HamSkoolie]

Originally Posted by cadillackid

... the wind-mill on the roof on the road mentality I guess...

OMG that just will not go away ever will it?


That and using a "generator" (batter with inverter and outlet) to turn a motor that spins a high output alternator that powers a battery charger and the extra power can run lights or whatever.....IT'S FREE ENERGY


Never mind the laws of physics say "LOL you idiot", people buy into that crap.


I hope to work a roof top generator into our build because "someone" wants to spend lots of time at the beach and there is always a breeze at teh beach even if it's overcast. I'll probably tell those that ask that it does just fine going down the road.......


NOTE: It will be stowed below when moving.

[cadillackid]

So there’s no database an RV park has access to on the spot.. what stops you from yanking an RVia plaque off a wrecked camper and slapping it on your bus?

It may not work for the hippie builds but many of the builds here are damn professional looking.

[dbsoundman]

Originally Posted by cadillackid

So there’s no database an RV park has access to on the spot.. what stops you from yanking an RVia plaque off a wrecked camper and slapping it on your bus?

It may not work for the hippie builds but many of the builds here are damn professional looking.

Now that's a thought...but I'm still thinking they'd take one look and turn you away.


Not to derail my own thread but has anyone started a list or database of skoolie-friendly campgrounds?

[Rwnielsen]

Originally Posted by cadillackid

So there’s no database an RV park has access to on the spot.. what stops you from yanking an RVia plaque off a wrecked camper and slapping it on your bus?

It may not work for the hippie builds but many of the builds here are damn professional looking.

I think that's a great idea. I did some work at a custom van and motor home manufacturer in the early
80's. We had a roll of RVIA stickers with sequential serial numbers. We didn't adhere to any plans or procedures, everything was a one-off vehicle. It's not like the NFPA, it's an association that is more of a marketing tool